Time: Middles
by Lucifer Rosemaunt
Summary: ErikRaoul slash impending. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 02. Misery loves company, but are they really miserable?
1. Change of Hearts

Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.

Summary: ErikRaoul slash impending. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 02. Misery loves company, but are they really miserable?

Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)

Pairing(s): ErikRaoul

A/N: Hi. I'm back. A little quicker this time, too, right? Okay, so it takes me (I think) a little more than a day each to write these chapters (sad isn't it, that it takes me that long just for less than 2,000 words?). So expect a four day turn around. The first few installments (ie this one and probably the next one) are a little quicker just because they were hashed out a little more. Maybe I'll post faster. Who knows? Don't forget to review.

Story note: Haha… who knows what will happen in this installment. What does the title 'middles' mean? You'll just have to read and find out.

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Time: Middles

Part01:Change of Hearts

o.o.o.o

By: Lucifer Rosemaunt

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o.o.o

"How's business?" Raoul inquired as he stepped into the managers' office.

Andre and Firmin looked up from their respective desks. They had not heard Raoul enter. In fact, if Firmin thought about it, the Vicomte was always catching them by surprise lately. Their patron had been surprisingly stealthy lately, as though he was always sneaking from place to place expecting to be caught off guard. Firmin figured that it was because of the opera ghost. That ghost always put him on edge. With Christine gone, who knew who the next target for the ghost's attention was. The patron was probably just becoming paranoid. As long as the Vicomte provided them with the funds they needed, Firmin did not care how eccentric he became.

Firmin wordlessly acknowledged him before returning to the papers on his desk.

Andre responded cheerfully, "We've still sold out for the next several performances."

"Christine's disappearance was quite beneficial," Firmin murmured.

Raoul frowned at his comment, but Firmin ignored it. Andre looked at the Vicomte apologetically, but Raoul knew he should not be so touchy on the subject of Christine's disappearance. He had come to terms that she had left months ago, but sometimes he liked to think that her leaving was not so voluntary. It had been half a year though and, well, even he knew that that the hope he had that she might return was unfounded.

"How is that even still possible?" Raoul asked.

Firmin stared at the papers on his desk more closely. He refused to look up. So what if every now and then rumours about the whereabouts of Christine Daae somehow slipped out into the gossip chains.

Seeing that Firmin was not going to answer his question, Raoul knew he did not have a reason to stay any longer. The managers were competent when it came to money. Other matters, Raoul would worry about and look over a second time, but right now, he had a meeting to go to. He had already spent the whole morning here before having to leave for other business unrelated to the opera house; however, Raoul found himself returning to the opera house as often as possible. Closing the door behind him softly, Raoul bumped into Meg upon turning around.

He wondered how long she had been waiting there. There was no way that she could have sneaked up on him – not lately at least. Having to keep an eye out for the opera ghost had made Raoul rather sensitive to every sound he heard. He had heard no footsteps, and Meg had a distinctive set of footfalls. She must have been waiting for him to leave the office.

"Monsieur, how are you today?" Meg smiled and tilted her head to one side. She looked up at him with wide eyes and a sweet smile.

Raoul forced a smile. He knew that Meg was only trying to be nice. At least, he hoped that she was only trying to be nice. Ever since Christine's disappearance, Meg had begun to talk to him more and more. When he had been moping those few days after he had told the opera ghost that they should stop fighting, her presence had helped somewhat.

"I'm fine, Mlle Giry. How are you this fine evening?"

Raoul began to walk and Meg joined him.

"I am well. The other girls were picking on me though."

"Oh," Raoul commented offhandedly.

Before, it had not been that bad talking to her. Before, it had not been everyday that she was just waiting for him. Raoul could handle speaking to her every now and then. She was a sweet girl who was full of life. He could talk about Christine, and Meg would share stories about their childhood. He could only take so much of their conversations though. He did not want her to think of them the wrong way. He was used to women fawning over him, but for some reason, this was a slightly different situation. He and Meg did have something deeper than just being acquaintances. They had both held Christine close as dear friends, and even though Christine was not here anymore, was that not reason enough for Raoul to be kind to Meg.

There were times when he would think that she was trying to seduce him or she was flirting with him, but then she would do something completely contrary to that thought and then Raoul would feel stupid for even beginning to think she might have felt that way about him. But right now, he wanted to be away from her.

"Aren't you supposed to be at rehearsal, Mlle Giry?"

She looked at him guiltily. "Yes. I just wanted to say hello."

Raoul almost felt bad for being so abrupt. He tried to reason, "There's a performance tomorrow. You all need to be at your best."

Meg nodded before scampering off. She tossed a wink over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Raoul gave a hesitant smile back. It was moments like that that made him wonder about Meg. He pulled out his pocket watch to look at the time. He frowned at seeing the time. He was going to be late if he did not hurry. He hated being late. Looking around to make sure that no one was around, he walked-almost-jogged through the hallways.

o.o.o

Erik had watched the Vicomte speak with the managers.

In fact, he had been watching the Vicomte rather consistently ever since Christine's departure. There really was not anything else to do. Sure, he watched the opera house return to normal. He watched as Christine's presence easily faded – as though she had not been as great as he had thought she had become, how he had tried teaching her to become. She had not been ready for that much fame. She could not hold their attention properly. Not completely at least. He had not taught her everything that he could have; but, then again, she had been the one who chose to leave.

Without her, he was left with observing the boring, insignificant peons that remained. No one showed promise. Christine really had been the perfect pupil. The death of her father had prepared her for their meeting. No one else could compare to that.

Then, there was Raoul. Erik did not compare Raoul with Christine though similarities were there. It was just that in his mind Raoul and Christine were on complete opposite ends of a spectrum now. Where Christine held his hatred, Raoul… Erik did not know what he thought of Raoul. He also considered changing that analogy.

The Vicomte was interesting to watch. He was always so expressive with his emotions: arrogantly in one moment, supportive the next. Erik could easily read Raoul, which was odd considering that Raoul came from the elite. It was rather uncommon to find someone wealthy and unguarded.

Honestly, Erik did not know why he had been watching Raoul so much. Perhaps it was because he already knew the schedules of every single person in the opera house. The only person left to watch was Raoul.

Every morning, Erik found it unfortunate that he could not simply forget the boy. He could not forget him because of how they had fought. He could not forget the consistency that their meetings had provided when the one thing Erik had thought constant had left him. Their fights had been a break from the mundane existence that would have been his life without Christine. He would have been locked in his home bemoaning his fate.

He hated to think that Raoul had been reason enough to take him out of his misery about Christine's betrayal. He denied it several times only to make the concession that their fights had pushed him easily past the mourning period and into a mental and emotional state where he could easily think of hurting Christine. He hated to think that for that short week after learning of Christine's betrayal, Raoul had easily made a connection with him – a connection that by all rights should not have been able to exist, not with the emotional detachment and general revulsion Erik felt towards everyone.

Seeing that connection talking with the Giry girl had rubbed him the wrong way. Erik was not sure why, but he was certain it had to do with the fact that every time he watched Raoul, she would be there talking to him. Erik had never cared for the girl. She kept to the background usually observing – something she had learned from her mother. For some reason, she was now always right there in front of him, an annoyance that would not go away. The repeated appearances and her forward attitude reminded him of Carlotta. And while Carlotta currently was indispensable and had been rather discrete lately, the Giry girl, though the best of the ballet corps, was replaceable.

Erik narrowed his eyes as Raoul flirted with the Giry girl. He was glad when she finally left. He had never once thought that she would flirt so openly. Perhaps, she had been around the other girls for far too long. He also had not expected Raoul to flirt back.

Watching Raoul check his watch, Erik quickly checked his. Raoul had a meeting he was going to be late for. Erik tsked. He hated tardiness. Erik took off after Raoul as the Vicomte ventured through his opera house. Pulling out a vial from his coat, Erik pulled out his handkerchief before pouring some of the liquid onto it making sure that he inhaled none of it. Sneaking in front of Raoul's path, he waited keeping as silent as possible. It was becoming harder and harder to catch the Vicomte unawares, but Erik had had a lifetime of practice surprising people. As Raoul approached him, Erik quickly stepped behind him and placed the cloth over his mouth and nose. After a few seconds of struggling, his body limply fell into Erik's waiting arms.

He liked to think that he had learned his lesson the first time Raoul bumped his head on the floor.

o.o.o.o

End part 01

Word count: 1,684

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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!

Chapter review: Wow, that was short. I like the next chapter though. What's with Meg though? (I really don't like the Raoul/Meg pairing, so never worry about that)

Author review: Although these aren't supposed to be that long to begin with, when I see such a short chapter, it makes me sad. TT Like, I should have tried harder, but that's enough to set up the next chapter. The other ones might be longer (they usually do get longer as I keep writing.)


	2. Civilized

Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.

Summary: ErikRaoul slash. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 02. Misery loves company, but are they really miserable?

Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)

Pairing(s): ErikRaoul

A/N: Hi. Not much to say besides the fact that I'm working hard. I set aside 2 hours a day for writing fanfiction. It may not be enough (well, it's more than I used to dedicate to writing fanfiction, but it feels like I don't have enough time… that's good, right? Me wanting to write more.) Just you wait people. 2 hours a day. Just think about that. I'm writing a lot of the shorter fics right now, and I'm planning to do a lot of those themes/challenges. How much more Erik/Raoul will be out there thanks to these 2 hours a day? Hope you don't get sick of me.

Story note: Freaking Meg's a whore (well not really, but she's interested in Raoul.) Not cool. So now you know this is 6 months after Christine left. This portion is very much the calm before the storm. So don't expect anything too racy. That's what the next installment is for. This is just a piece of their existence together and the way their dynamic sort of turned out.

o.o.o.o

Time: Middles

Part02:Civilized

o.o.o.o

By: Lucifer Rosemaunt

o.o.o.o

Last time: Erik kidnaps Raoul again. (Again!)

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o.o.o

Groaning, Raoul opened his eyes. He wondered what had happened this time. From what he remembered, he was trying to get to his meeting. His body felt heavy; his eyes especially, but he forced them to stay open. Looking around, he saw the familiar storage room. The fountain and table were the first things he saw. Turning his head to the other side, it looked like the wooden horse was laughing at him.

Slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position, his eyes immediately were trained on the throne where, as expected, the opera ghost sat watching him, slouched and with a bored expression on his face. If he just glanced quickly, it appeared as though the mask were hovering.

He could not believe it. Raoul knew that he was getting better at detecting the ghost's presence. To be kidnapped again was a grave insult. He was certain that he would have heard the ghost before he tried to kidnap him again. Raoul closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was not feeling any calmer.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Raoul said with a lot less venom than he would have liked. He blamed it on the fact that his head still felt clouded. He could already feel the effects of the drugs that he knew Erik had used fading though. It was better than bumps on his head, but still, Raoul did not understand why he kept doing it.

Erik grinned but since he was hiding his smile behind his gloved hand, Raoul could only vaguely sense his amusement.

"What are you talking about?" He asked innocently.

Raoul balked at him. Erik acting innocently was something the man could never pull off properly. There was something in the way his eyes seemed to laugh at you.

"I was already heading here!" Raoul yelled.

"You were going to be late," Erik looked at him pointedly. He added disdainfully, "…speaking with that Giry girl."

Raoul ignored the reference to Meg. He knew he could have made it on time if he had been given the opportunity. Several times already, he had had to run through the hallways hoping no one saw him just to get to their meetings on time. It was not something he would want to have to explain – why the patron was running through the hallways. Technically, it had not even been Raoul's fault. If Erik had not decided to scare the stagehands, Raoul would not have had to speak with the employees ensuring that no one else would go missing.

He did not mention that because he knew the ghost knew what had happened and why Raoul would have been late. Erik simply found it amusing. Ever since their meetings had started up again, Erik had been testing Raoul, testing him to see if the boy would come no matter what. He had tested him many different ways: by calling him names, by stealing his horse so that Raoul would have to walk home or find another carriage late at night, or by breaking into the Vicomte's house and hiding much of his clothes. The way that had proven most amusing and satisfying was by delaying him.

Erik reveled in the fact that he had discovered Raoul hated to be late to anything. In fact, Raoul had consistently shown up almost half an hour early to every appointment he made if given the opportunity. It had taken Erik some time to discover because Raoul's schedule was so often packed that he was not given the opportunity.

Erik considered it a waste of time. Being early was not very intelligent since those thirty minutes could have been used for more constructive activities – though Erik did discover that Raoul enjoyed watching people as much as he did. Being prompt was important, early was something Erik was trying to remove from Raoul's habits. And, being tardy, well, Erik just found it enjoyable to be able to chastise the Vicomte.

Standing up, Raoul dusted off his clothes even though the storage room hardly had anymore dust in it, "I don't appreciate losing large portions of my memory, or of my day for that matter."

"I don't appreciate tardiness," Erik loved watching Raoul's reactions. He was so easy to read. There was an honesty to his reactions that Erik had long since learned to hide.

Raoul pulled out his watch. "Half an hour. We're late right now."

"Actually you were here a little early," Erik pointed out, "even if you were unconscious."

Raoul rolled his eyes. There was no speaking with the opera ghost.

"I'm going to stop coming here," he threatened. He and the ghost both knew that he would not, but when Erik actually laughed aloud, Raoul frowned.

Erik replied, "I don't mind."

Raoul looked affronted. The ghost's response had been a little too quick.

He did not fully understand why they kept meeting. He had been the one to tell the ghost that he wanted to stop their fights. He had wanted to stop meeting the ghost because he thought he was being patronized. Raoul had actually thought that they could just go back to being nuisances to each other as patron and opera ghost and no longer enemies. That was what he had thought.

It had only been two days after they had stopped fighting that Raoul had felt like something was missing. It was not as though he did not know what that was. He hated to admit that he missed their meetings. He had already admitted that he felt a connection with the ghost. He just did not know what to do about it. He had tried to distract himself with his peers, but their jocularity and empty problems annoyed Raoul. He felt uneasy among them. He always ended up in the opera house just walking through the familiar hallways.

Then, on that third evening, he ended up wandering to the storage room. He did not know what he was expecting, but he was not expecting the ghost to be there as well. It made him hope that the ghost missed their meetings as well. At least, that was what he had told himself.

They had fought, which was not surprising, and they had injured each other again. They did not stop until they were both exhausted. As Raoul had leaned against the leg of a platform, he had smiled. He felt better sitting there in the silence and knowing that the ghost was there as well.

They fell into a rhythm just like it had been before. They met every night after that, and after they fought, they just sat in the silence punctuated by questions. Raoul asked most of them even though the ghost refused to answer most of them. It took a while, but the ghost began to ask questions as well – questions that Raoul knew the ghost could not already know. He also answered several of Raoul's questions. Raoul liked to think that Erik was finally interested in learning more about him. They talked a lot more than before, but even that was not that much. It was better than being alone. It was better than spending his evenings in the drawing room trying to read in the all too quiet estate. Here, Raoul could hear Erik's breathing. It was nice to know someone was suffering along with him.

Erik said, the annoyance clear in his voice, "And stop looking so miserable."

Raoul fought the urge to stick out his tongue.

"Stop looking so deformed."

Erik's expression remained blank, but Raoul knew he had gotten the reaction that he wanted. Erik's hand dropped to the sword that sat beside the throne. Flinging himself at Raoul, Raoul easily sidestepped the attack. Raoul smirked at Erik and Erik smirked back. He was almost distracted enough to miss the quick swipe to his left side. He parried and began his own barrage of attacks.

Somewhere along the many battles they had fought with each other, they had stopped trying to kill each other. All the attacks were still deadly, but Raoul knew if given the opportunity, he would not land a finishing blow. He knew the ghost would not either because there had been times when the opportunity had arisen. They fought because they needed to exert all their energies. Since they were well matched, they did not need to hold back on their attacks and the moves they performed. The fought, kicked, and punched with everything they had. They bruised and bled until their limbs stopped responding.

Draped on a table at the end of their fight, Raoul commented aloud. "She keeps talking to me, you know."

"Who?" Erik had chosen to relax on a bed several feet away. Raoul hated the fact that Erik always looked less exhausted than he did whenever their fights were done. Yet, he did know that the ghost was tired. Erik hated the way that Raoul so easily splayed his body on the tabletop. Raoul somehow made him want to be on that table as well.

"Meg."

Erik did not respond and Raoul could just imagine the blank expression on his face.

"The Giry girl," Raoul replied, using his best phantom of the opera voice.

Erik threw him a glare but did not move from his spot. After a few moments of silence, in which Raoul thought the ghost had decided to ignore his statement completely, Erik replied.

"I noticed."

Raoul nodded, and that was the end of that conversation.

He listened to the ghost's breathing. It had actually taken time and a lot of practice to be able to hear it since Raoul had learned that everything the ghost did was silent, but he could hear it clearly now. He was almost certain that he could hear the ghost's heartbeat as well.

Erik watched as Raoul smiled before dozing off. He took a deep breath settling himself into a more comfortable position and wondered how long it would be until Raoul woke up again.

o.o.o

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End part 02

Word count: 1,671

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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!

Chapter review: Apparently, I'm going to knock Raoul unconscious every other fic now. And now you're thinking, there's a bed in the storage room? What else could they do in there?

Author review: Wow, these ones are really short. I liked this one though.


	3. Space

Disclaimer: Please don't sue. I don't own POTO... All I own is an overactive imagination.

Summary: ErikRaoul slash. Time, a 3parts Series. Installment 02. Misery loves company, but are they really miserable?

Warning(s): slash (that's homosexual content for those of you who don't know)

Pairing(s): ErikRaoul

A/N: I guess I should apologize for shortness and the quasi fluff of the last chapter, but I can't help it. That's just how this installment turned out.

Story note: Last part of the second installment.

o.o.o.o

Time: Middles

Part03:Space

o.o.o.o

By: Lucifer Rosemaunt

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Last time: They fight and Erik watches Raoul sleep.

o.o.o

Erik was annoyed. That was an understatement.

He tapped his foot on the floor in Box 5. The repetitive sound echoed loudly in the empty theatre. He should have been focusing on not being found, or reviewing how the rehearsal went today, how the strings had sounded off, how the ballet corps could be improved… he should have been focused on anything but the fact that Raoul had missed their meeting. He had left the storage room for the sole purpose of thinking about something other than Raoul, but apparently even away from that room, Raoul was still on his mind.

It was only because Erik could not seem to wrap his mind around it.

Raoul had missed one of their meetings.

After he had tested, prodded, and made Raoul miserable, for going on six months now, he chose today to be truant. Six full months of their meetings and this was the first time that Raoul had missed one. It should have been commendable really, but it was not. Erik was just trying to figure out what had happened. It could not be because Raoul was sick because the Vicomte had just been there early this morning for a meeting with the managers. Not only the managers though, Erik had seen Raoul with the Giry girl again. Raoul had had time to flirt with the Giry girl, but he did not have the time to show up to their meeting? That was unheard of.

Raoul had left for the afternoon, and then he had simply disappeared.

Erik frowned. That thought was all too familiar. It was too reminiscent of that time with Christine.

He had not thought about her for a while now. Raoul had taken up most of his time and attention. It had been weeks after her departure before he had actually realized that Christine had left his thoughts. It was almost disturbing how easily Raoul had managed to do that if Erik thought about it. There were worse things to worry about now though. There was the doubt.

Had he been duped by the fop? Did Raoul just leave like Christine had?

Erik stood up. He could not remain sitting any more. Moving helped him think, and he needed to clear his mind. However, when he found himself inside the no longer dusty storage room, he let out a frustrated scream.

Had it all been an act just to put him at ease so that Raoul could slip away to meet up with Christine?

No, that could not be right. He had his sources.

It could not be right. Raoul would never do that.

o.o.o

Raoul held onto his right bicep, clutching his arm closer to his body. This way there was not as much strain on the knife wound on his shoulder blade. It did not hurt too much. He had had worse in his fights with the opera ghost, but his angry embarrassment combined with the cut was making his shoulder bother him. The police had bandaged it at the station. It felt surprisingly deep. He could not quite see it because whenever he tried, he had to move his shoulder.

Walking through the streets, he was glad that it was late. Not many people were around to see the state he was in. He knew he should have gone straight home, but he needed to go to the opera house.

He looked over his shoulder for what felt like the hundredth time in this last block. He was on edge. He knew that he was being paranoid, but he could not seem to stop himself from checking. More than the paranoia however, Raoul was also immensely displeased with himself. He had been robbed, almost robbed. Some thief about his age had managed to sneak up behind him. Raoul had been too inattentive caught up in his thoughts about the opera ghost. It was almost laughable. Raoul had thought he was safer on the streets than when he was in the opera house. He had only been 'grazed,' as the officers said, on the shoulder by the thief's knife. He had turned to dodge the blade in his attempt to attack the thief, but he had misjudged his step and stumbled on the gravel. Even with his now quicker reflexes, Raoul had only managed to grab the knife from the thief's hand after he had been injured. Justifiably angry, Raoul knew he almost broke the man's wrist. He loosened it just a bit seeing the thief's pained expression, but that had been enough for the man to slip away. The thief managed to escape to Raoul's dismay. Raoul kept his money and watch and the man got away with his life.

Hearing the ruckus, the police came over. Upon seeing him, they began to fuss about the cut on his shoulder. Raoul knew he was already late because of that scuffle, but they forced him to go to their station to have his shoulder bandaged and to inquire about what had occurred. Now he was hours late for his meeting with the ghost. He almost rethought going to the opera house in his state, but he had already made it to the front steps and figured he might as well check.

Raoul snuck into the opera house not wanting to call any attention to himself since he was technically breaking into the building. He doubted anyone would realize it was him in his haphazard state. The sleeve to his shirt was cut from shoulder to armpit and there were bloodstains on it. His hair was a mess and he had gotten dirt on his face.

Upon entering, Raoul was glad that everything was still. The candles had been extinguished, but Raoul did not need light to know where he was going. He easily made his way through the opera house. He figured that the ghost had long since left the room, but he just wanted to spend some time there. He needed to calm down and the storage room helped him relax. It was like some semblance of sanity... he almost laughed at the thought, the opera ghost and sanity seemed incongruous.

But, he was already getting in a better mood now that he was near the room.

Entering, Raoul let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly he was pushed from behind. His head flung back and he stumbled forward. He tried to stay on his feet, but lost his balance. Wincing when his shoulder hit the floor, he ignored the pain as he used the momentum to bring himself back on his feet. On guard, he wondered if someone was trying to steal from the opera house.

Instead, the ghost stood there with a scowl on his face, an expression that Raoul had not seen for months now, not since they had first fought in this room.

"Erik?" Raoul immediately relaxed without meaning to.

"What are you doing here, Vicomte?" Erik took a menacing step towards him.

The tone of his voice made Raoul frown and step further away from him. Erik had not called him Vicomte for almost a month now. It was somehow worse than the other names that Erik deemed to call him such as fop, twit, and if he was lucky, Raoul with that special tone of voice that seemed reserved only for mocking him.

It was only because they had fought so much that Raoul recognized the weight shift that meant Erik was going to strike out with his left hand. Raoul ducked in time to miss the punch, but Erik knew he would. Erik twisted and grabbed Raoul's arm preventing him from getting away.

"What are you doing here?" He asked through clenched teeth.

Erik knew he should not be so mad. Raoul had simply missed a meeting. They had never agreed that they had to come every night. It was something that just happened. Raoul had every right to miss one night, but Erik was not being rational. He was not even sure why he was so mad since he had calmed down somewhat when he had decided to stay in the room for a little longer. Then hearing the footsteps, Erik had waited to see who it was. But seeing Raoul just enter the room like that, like he... like he. Erik's brows furrowed. Like he had never felt so at ease.

"I can come here whenever I want," Raoul answered defensively.

Raoul did not allow himself to lose his temper though. Losing his temper against the ghost when he was at a disadvantage and when the ghost was angry would be a very bad idea. Raoul bit his lip so that he could focus on something other than how his shoulder was currently being abused. He wanted to scream from the pain, but he held it in. Instead, he let his arm go limp. Erik only held onto his arm tighter.

Erik did not like how calm Raoul seemed. The Vicomte should be afraid of him. He wondered how Raoul could just stand there knowing full well what he was capable of doing. Raoul trusted him. Erik had already known that, but he also knew that he had hurt Raoul enough in the past to give Raoul reason to be afraid of him. He was not sure if he was more mad about the fact that Raoul was not afraid of him or the fact that Raoul trusted him so absolutely.

Jerking him closer, Raoul gasped before he could contain it. Erik's grip immediately loosened, but Raoul's arm was still not released. It was only then that Erik saw the torn sleeve and the red that he felt he should have noticed immediately.

When Erik finally released Raoul's arm, Raoul was relieved. He tried to reclaim his arm, but to his dismay, Erik grabbed his sleeve and tore it off just to look at the bandage beneath.

Raoul looked at him in disbelief and then to his sleeve that was now on the floor.

"What? Why did you...?"

"What happened?" Erik grabbed his arm firmly turning him so that he could see his shoulder blade clearly. Somehow, he managed to not aggravate the wound further. Raoul dropped his head in defeat. He did not really want to explain that he had been weak enough to be injured by some thief off the street. His shoulder was throbbing and Raoul could tell that it was starting to bleed again. Raoul did not think he could feel any more embarrassed.

"I was robbed on the way here," Raoul murmured. He looked away as he said it. He did not want to see the amusement in Erik's eyes.

"Robbed," Erik repeated slowly.

Raoul could not tell from his voice what Erik thought about it; so, he looked back. Erik was staring at the blood that was now spreading on the bandage. His grip tightened on Raoul's arm unconsciously.

Raoul winced. He really did not want to have to pull his arm away. He was sure it would only aggravate the wound further, but he did not know what Erik would do since he could not seem to tell what Erik was feeling at that moment He looked annoyed and angry, but Raoul knew Erik usually was both those things. Raoul considered the fact that the ghost was not outright laughing at him to be a good sign.

Erik stared at the blood. He had not caused this wound on Raoul and for some reason, he wanted to go out and find the bastard who had dared to lay a finger on his property.

His property?

Erik loosened his grip on Raoul's arm. He snuck a glance at Raoul and wondered when he had begun to think of Raoul in such a manner.

Raoul met his eyes. He looked up at him rather trustingly. He was not tense. He was not even trying to get away from him. He was just waiting, waiting for him to react.

Erik released Raoul and stepped away suddenly aware of how close they were.

Raoul, unfazed about what had happened though a little sore, bent down to grab his sleeve off the floor. He did not know if he should even try to save the shirt or buy a new one. Examining the sleeve, Raoul was not able to see the change in Erik's demeanor.

Erik released a shuddering breath. He stared at Raoul as though seeing him for the first time. Why did he feel so confused right now? He clenched his fists and stared at Raoul's exposed arm.

He grabbed Raoul's shoulders and slammed him against the nearest wall. Holding him there rather close, Erik threatened, "Don't be late again."

Raoul winced and momentarily wished Erik would not be so violent.

It sounded like a threat, but Raoul could almost swear that he could sense a little worry there as well. He stared at the mask for a moment before looking past it to look into Erik's eyes. Not knowing why, Raoul wondered if Erik had thought that just like Christine, he had simply disappeared. He understood that fear. He let out a sigh.

Raoul looked at him seriously and nodded his head.

Erik knew it would have been better if Raoul had gotten angry at him for the way he was treating him. Then, they would have simply gone back to meeting everyday to fight with each other. Everything could have gone back to normal. Any response was better than the understanding look and firm acquiescence because Erik was certain that Raoul did understand exactly what he had been worried about. He was certain that Raoul would now do everything in his power no matter what happened just to make it to their meetings on time. It was whether he would arrive in one piece that Erik was now worrying about.

Suddenly, Erik was moving closer and Raoul realized just how close they were. He realized how Erik's body was leaning fully against his. It should have been suffocating but it was not. It was almost nice. It was Erik. And he looked so pained suddenly, moving ever closer. Any closer and... and. Raoul pushed Erik away hurriedly.

Stumbling on his feet again as he rushed towards the door, he looked at Erik who seemed frozen in his spot. Had he been trying to...? Raoul could not even finish that thought.

A small distance more and they would...

Raoul fled.

...they would have kissed.

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End Installment 02

Word count: 2,415

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A/N: Don't forget to R/R (Read and Review)!

Chapter review: Another freaking cliffhanger. What the hell is wrong with me? Things start to get better in the next installment. Even I'm excited!

Author review: I swear the next ones are going to be longer. (I think)

Oh, question! Do you want me to post full installments at once or parts? You know, since I usually finish part 01 before starting part 02. Give me your input. I figure since they're so short, I should just put all three at once. That's the whole point of the 3parts series, but if you think otherwise please tell me.


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